CD Reviews

FORGOTTEN 70'S DIONNE GEM!

Keith Coppage | CONCORD, CA United States | 11/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All Dionne fans agree there was some great overlooked music by The Woman in the 70's, and this has to rank as the *most* overlooked, probably because there is so much Holland-Dozier-Holland in it and as a result perhaps Dionne is simply fronting some latter-day Motown. But as we all know--Dionne doesn't front anything! Even though these songs could have been sung by any of the Motown ladies, Dionne takes each track and makes it her own. Particularly soulful and spectacularly performed are the haunting "Don't Burn the Bridge (That Took You Across)" that closes out the album, and the energetic "I Think You Need Love" early on. The music is always interesting and the background vocals are mixed fat right up front, giving the whole album a gospelly feel. Check out some of the clips, you'll want to give it a try--you won't be able to resist "Come Back" and the sweet ballad "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You." A must for fans and people who like 70's soul."

Dionne's best Warner set

Peace Brotha | Ohio, United States | 11/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brief but beautiful ... that describes this masterpiece by the Queen of Champagne Soul. Each of the 8 songs is great to terrific; no filler here. Dionne's delivery and execution is perfect for each song's feel and subject matter. "I Always Get Caught In The Rain" has to be one of the most beautiful 70's ballads ever recorded, while "You're Gonna Need Me" has an urgency rarely heard by Miss Warwick.

All of Dionne's early 70's material, thankfully re-released with liner notes by the ever-informative David Nathan, is outstanding and never gets its just due. That said, JUST BEING MYSELF is in a class of one and my personal favorite of them all. Dionne's trademark sweet and delicate vocal touch mixes so well with this soulful material.

That soulfulness makes this set stand out in Dionne's catalog. It also makes it worth adding to your collection since it represents the absolute cream of early 70's R&B in many ways. You will not be disappointed!"

My Fave Dionne of the 70's

Jetrocket | NYC | 05/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I came to this album late in life but boy I am glad I found it. Believe it or not it, I was made aware of it because of a sample of "You're Gonna Need Me" used by hip-hop legend J Dilla. Loving Dionne Warwick's music I had to seek this out. "Just Being Myself" is Dionne meets Holland-Dozier-Holland for a one-off collaboration and what a lasting impression this has made on me. I own practially every Dionne Warwick release from throughout her venerable career and this dusty masterpiece was quite a surprise. Each song offers something special and characteristic of the Dionne style. From the arrangements, it is obvious that H-D-H held Dionne's work from the Bacaharach-David era in great respect. The songs frequently qoute many of Bacharach-David stylistic touches (listen to "I Always Get Caught in the Rain"). Yet H-D-H add a new dimension to the Warwick style by rooting the album in the post 60's Motown sound. In return Dionne sings at her most soulful, adult-themed songs backed by funky,and complex musical arrangements. The magic of H-D-H has always been their ability to communicate an epic sweep in 3-4 minutes and this remains true on all the songs on this album. "Just Being Myself" finds Dionne at the top of her game - a consumate professional. Given how much I love this record, it is odd for me to read reports where Ms. Warwick speaks disparagingly about this album and this period of her career -success with Warner Brothers records eluded her, and "Just Being Myself" produced no chart hits for her. I think time has vindacted this period of her career -- the music remains relevant and classic at once. Each decade from the 60's through to the 90's, Dionne's output was exemplary and this for me is the high point of her 70's era. I say grab this one before it goes out of print once again and you end up paying hundreds of dollars on Ebay for a used copy."